Why Personal Protective Equipment And Spill Kits Need To Be Chosen Together

It's very easy when thinking about personal protective equipment and spill kits to separate them, considering the sort of PPE equipment which people will need to use and to wear when operating machinery or handling certain materials or equipment, whilst thinking about spill kits as a distinct area of safety.

In fact personal protective equipment must be an integral part of what spill kits incorporate, and in many cases equipment or clothing suitable for the type of spillage is included with the kit. Whereas in some cases very little will be required as far as dealing with a spillage is concerned there are clearly going to be many cases where the spill kit needs to offer more than merely the equipment needed to contain the spillage or leakage, and help absorb the liquids.

In supermarkets and other public areas where a freezer breaks down resulting in water leaking out across a smooth and potential slippery floor the appropriate spill kits provided will need to cater for three main things. Firstly the spill kit will need to provide suitable materials to help contain the spillage to prevent it from spreading any further. Typically the equipment used to contain a spillage is a boom or a sock, which is a long flexible tube which is filled with a special material designed to absorb and contain the liquid.

It's important to be aware that the chemical materials in socks and booms will be designed to specifically target the sort of liquid or material for which the spill kit is designed. For example, spill kits designed for water leakages will contain materials highly effective at absorbing water molecules, and holding them to prevent leakage, whereas socks and booms designed for dealing with oil leaks will actually repeal water molecules, whilst attracting the oil molecules.

So having the right equipment to contain a spillage is the first step. The second step is to ensure that the spill kit includes appropriate items which can be used to warn people about the spillage. Warning signs, barriers and other notices can be used to make sure that everyone is well aware of the leakage and is able to avoid it. The third element of a spill kit designed for a basic water leakage or other harmless liquid will be the materials used to actually mop up and clear the spillage or leakage.

Whilst this three step approach is perfectly adequate for things such as water, it doesn't necessarily include or require any personal protective equipment for use or wear by those people dealing with the leakage. In some cases the liquid may be dangerous, such as chemical leakages, where the liquid might be toxic, or acidic. In such cases a number of items of clothing or personal safety equipment will be needed, such as safety goggles designed to protect the eyes, breathing apparatus in cases where the liquid or spillage may initiate a chemical reaction which emits toxic gasses or vapours, and safety gloves designed to protect the hands whilst dealing with the spillage.

Other items of personal protective equipment may also be required, and so it is important that any business looking to purchase either personal protective equipment or spill kits makes sure that the two areas are not treated entirely separately, but that the spill kits have been chosen appropriately, and that suitable safety clothing or PPE equipment is provided that may only ever be required in cases where the spill kit is needed.

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For more information about personal protective equipment, visit Intersafety, one of the UK's leading independent suppliers of safety equipment, including spill kits.